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Email to Dr. Kevin Hull and Lisa (Tauren Wells' Team)

Date: December 26, 2025
Subject: Texas Christian Microschools Research (as promised)

Dr. Kevin and Lisa,

Hope you both had a blessed Christmas.

As promised, I've been compiling research on Christian microschools in Texas. Rather than send a long PDF, I put together a playbook site that organizes everything in one place:

texaschristianmicroschools.com

It's a work in progress, but the Policy section should give you a solid grounding on what's now possible. The short version: between the Texas TEFA program (ESA scholarships around $10k/student) and the new federal tax credit scholarship program signed in July, the financial picture for faith-based microschools looks different than it did even a year ago.

On Fall 2026 Timing​

Based on what I've gathered, Fall 2026 is achievable for a pilot. Here's the rough picture:

What works in that favor:

  • Prenda (the microschool platform I've been exploring) already qualifies under Texas TEFA requirements. Their accreditation and 2+ year operational history means any microschool launched under their umbrella clears those hurdles
  • Churches in Florida have been doing this for a few years now, so there are models to learn from
  • The mechanics aren't complicated. One guide, 10 kids, a space at the church. Prenda handles curriculum, assessment, and parent invoicing

What to consider:

  • Finding the right guide is probably the key variable. This person needs to be competent and aligned with Whitestone's values
  • Some lead time to get families interested and enrolled would help. Starting conversations in early 2026 makes Fall 2026 realistic
  • The playbook's Guides section will eventually have more on what to look for (still building this out)

I'm not trying to oversell this. It's genuinely simpler than traditional school launches, but it still requires intentionality.

Next Steps​

I'll continue adding to the playbook as I learn more.

Looking forward to our February conversation, and happy to chat about it beforehand too.

Grace and peace, Gary